Chelsea are reportedly set to send Dutch midfield youngster Marco van Ginkel on loan to Stoke City next season as part of an £8m deal to sign goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, according to the Daily Mirror.

The Blues are leading the chase for the Bosnian international, who is presumably set to come in as an understudy to current number one Thibaut Courtois, whose fine form last season led to Petr Cech losing his place and eventually leaving the club to join Arsenal this summer.

Begovic has been a top performer during his time with Stoke, but may now be set to leave his role as first choice for the Potters to sit on the bench for Jose Mourinho’s side next year.

Still, the chance to move to a bigger club will always be appealing for any player, and the 28-year-old may feel the move to the Premier League champions is a just reward for his superb efforts in his career so far.

Van Ginkel’s move to the Brittania Stadium looks to have moved the deal somewhat closer to completion, the Mirror suggests, with Stoke previously turning down the offer of other Chelsea squad players like Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Nathan Ake.

The 22-year-old midfielder has struggled since moving to Chelsea, getting injured in his first season and looking slow to get back to form in a loan spell with AC Milan since then.